Abstract: A method includes defining a placeholder widget having a property and defining a prototype graphical user interface (GUI) having an instance of the placeholder widget. The method also includes presenting the prototype GUI to a user, where an appearance of the instance of the placeholder widget is based on the property of the placeholder widget. The method further includes replacing the instance of the placeholder widget in the prototype GUI with an instance of another widget. In addition, the method includes updating the presentation of the prototype GUI using the instance of the other widget. Replacing the instance of the placeholder widget with the instance of the other widget could include transforming an instance of a lower fidelity placeholder widget into an instance of a higher fidelity widget. The property of the placeholder widget could include a textual property, an image property, and/or a graphics property.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically generating an adaptive user interface for a plurality of appliances within a physical environment. Appliance description specifications of the appliances are generated from provided appliance functionality information and semantic information of related appliances and/or related environment information. The appliance description specifications can be analyzed to construct a semantic functionality relationship among the appliances and the adaptive user interface can be rendered based on an interface elements relationship which is a transformation of the semantic functionality relationship. The system has a user interface rendering module, which when run on a controller, implements the aforesaid appliance description specification generation and analysis, and adaptor modules, which when run on the appliances, maintain the appliance description specifications and allow exchange of same between the controller and appliances.

Abstract: One embodiment of the application provides a method of generating a 3D user interface (UI) in a controller for an appliance in a physical environment. The method includes: abstracting the appliance to obtain to a appliance functionality description having variables of the appliance, operations of the state variables, and relationship among the state variables; converting the state variables into corresponding 3D widgets in the controller, wherein the state variable are mapped respectively into the 3D widgets; laying out the 3D widgets to form the 3D UI in the controller; constructing communication objects in the controller from the state variables, the state variables being mapped into the communication objects; and providing interaction between the 3D UI and the appliance by a communication protocol integrated with the appliance.

Abstract: A data entry device is provided to enter data related to usability of a user interface of a product. A processor provides a usability score card on the data entry device. The score card facilitates entry of usability issues regarding the user interface, and entry of data related to three dimensions of each issue including a risk severity, a probability of occurrence of the issue, and a probability of detecting the issue. The processor processes the data to provide an overall usability score of the user interface.

Abstract: A method includes defining a placeholder widget having a property and defining a prototype graphical user interface (GUI) having an instance of the placeholder widget. The method also includes presenting the prototype GUI to a user, where an appearance of the instance of the placeholder widget is based on the property of the placeholder widget. The method further includes replacing the instance of the placeholder widget in the prototype GUI with an instance of another widget. In addition, the method includes updating the presentation of the prototype GUI using the instance of the other widget. Replacing the instance of the placeholder widget with the instance of the other widget could include transforming an instance of a lower fidelity placeholder widget into an instance of a higher fidelity widget. The property of the placeholder widget could include a textual property, an image property, and/or a graphics property.

Abstract: A user interface navigation design system and method is described in this document. In some embodiments, a user interface (UI) navigation diagram is generated. The UI navigation diagram displays two or more of the plurality of screen views and corresponding navigation relationships. A screen view is selected according to a user interaction with the UI navigation diagram. A dynamic view of the user interface navigation diagram is provided as a function of the selected screen view. The dynamic view of the UI navigation diagram displays one or more navigation relationships associated with the selected screen view. The one or more navigation relationships include non-hyperlinked navigation relationships associated with the selected screen view.

Abstract: One embodiment of the application provides a method of generating a 3D user interface (UI) in a controller for an appliance in a physical environment. The method includes: abstracting the appliance to obtain to a appliance functionality description having variables of the appliance, operations of the state variables, and relationship among the state variables; converting the state variables into corresponding 3D widgets in the controller, wherein the state variable are mapped respectively into the 3D widgets; laying out the 3D widgets to form the 3D UI in the controller; constructing communication objects in the controller from the state variables, the state variables being mapped into the communication objects; and providing interaction between the 3D UI and the appliance by a communication protocol integrated with the appliance.

Abstract: A system for creating a user interface is disclosed herein. The system comprises (a) a display for viewing a visual representation of the user interface being created, (b) a processor, (c) data storage, and (d) program code stored in the data storage and executable by the processor to (i) implement a UML model explorer that communicates with a model driven design tool to access one or more UML models, (ii) implement a rule-based object visual creation system that is operable to map UML elements to corresponding user interface objects, (iii) in response to input from a user, add corresponding user interface objects to the visual representation, and (iv) implement a model generator that is operable to generate a UML model based on the visual representation of the user interface, wherein the UML model can be executed to create an instance of the user interface on a display.

Abstract: A method includes storing information defining a plurality of procedures to be followed. The method also includes receiving a request for the information associated with at least one of the procedures. The method further includes formatting the requested information based on a platform to receive the requested information. In addition, the method includes providing the formatted requested information to the platform. Formatting the requested information may include formatting the requested information using one of a plurality of templates, where the templates are associated with a plurality of different procedure types. Formatting the requested information may also include formatting the requested information differently based on whether the requested information is to be presented via a console computing device, a mobile device, or a printed document.

Abstract: Described herein is a task modeling system configured to process a task model that is described by a task modeling notation. Further, the task modeling notation may provide for attaching the task model to a user interface description. The system comprises a computer readable storage medium containing program code, wherein the program code is executable by a processor to (a) generate a task tree from a task model, wherein the task tree comprises a plurality of interconnected task nodes, wherein the task model is described by a task modeling notation, (b) attach the task tree to a user interface description, (c) coordinate a state of the task tree with a state of the user interface, and (d) cause the state of the user interface to be updated as indicated by the state of the task tree, wherein the state of the user interface is updated by updating a graphical display of the user interface.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a method and system for creating visual programs using a graphical notation. In a preferred embodiment, a visual programming system is provided. The visual programming system comprises (a) a processor; (b) data storage; and (c) program code stored in the data storage and executable by the processor. The program code is executable to implement a graphical notation that can be used to create visual programs displayable on a monitor, wherein the graphical notation comprises objects and connectors that connect the objects to other objects, wherein the objects comprise control flow objects and standard objects, and wherein the control flow objects substantially direct execution of the visual program. The program code is further executable to implement a visual program engine operable to execute visual programs created using the graphical notation, thereby causing the processor to carry out processes as indicated by the visual programs.

Abstract: A system and method provide a visual based query interface for time series data to facilitate entry of n query reference patterns and specification of temporal relationships between multiple such patterns.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically generating an adaptive user interface for a plurality of appliances within a physical environment. Appliance description specifications of the appliances are generated from provided appliance functionality information and semantic information of related appliances and/or related environment information. The appliance description specifications can be analyzed to construct a semantic functionality relationship among the appliances and the adaptive user interface can be rendered based on an interface elements relationship which is a transformation of the semantic functionality relationship. The system has a user interface rendering module, which when run on a controller, implements the aforesaid appliance description specification generation and analysis, and adaptor modules, which when run on the appliances, maintain the appliance description specifications and allow exchange of same between the controller and appliances.

Abstract: A map for displaying hierarchical or non-hierarchical information in a two dimensional format in a fixed space. The map may be used for displaying information about various entities of a complex arrangement for simultaneous viewing in one presentation or display. Examples of these entities may include controllers, plants and IO terminals. One form of representation may be in nested rectangles. Another form may be in sectors of circles. Other geometrical shapes or figures may used for a graphical presentation of the entities or components. Status of the entities may be indicated with a graphical pattern, color, shading, flickering, and/or other manner. Effort representations, filters, tabular displays, popups of enlarged or scalable portions of the map, layouts with space for other information, and quick access techniques for seeking data points may be incorporated in the map.